MARCH, 2009 – GENERAL MEETING
The March, 2009 Chamber general meeting will be held on Thursday, March 5th, at 8:00 AM, at Monastero's Ristorante & Banquets, 3935 W. Devon Avenue (773) 588-2515. The Chamber thanks Maria G. Monastero for hosting this meeting and Mark Freedman from Myron & Phil Steak and Seafood for hosting our February general meeting.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING
The next Board of Directors' meeting will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 4:30 PM at the Edgebrook Public Library, 5331 W. Devon Avenue (312) 744-8313. Thanks, to Katherine Panares for providing our meeting room.
2009 CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP DUES
We are all dealing with tough economic times, but it is important to renew your membership! Benefits include: inclusion in the annual Membership Directory distributed to local businesses, residents and community groups; receiving the Monthly Newsletter; linkage to the chamber Website; inclusion in the Member-to-Member Discount and Welcome Packet programs; eligibility in the Edgebrook Banner program; and participation in the annual Edgebrook Festival and Golf Outing. Membership dues submission has been extended until February 27, 2009. A membership letter and renewal form are included in this newsletter.
SIGNUP FOR THE BANNER PROGRAM
Applications are still being accepted for the Chamber's Street Banner Program. A Standard Banner is $300 and a Custom Banner is $350. The program includes a five-year maintenance program that covers everything. A purchase form is included in this newsletter.
SPRING SPLASH NETWORKING EVENT:
The Edgebrook, Sauganash and West Ridge Chambers of Commerce, in conjunction with Whole Foods Market, Elegance, Swedish Covenant Hospital and the Sauganash Wellness Center, will be co-hosting an after-hours business networking event at Airoom Architects & Builders (6825 N. Lincoln Avenue) on March 26, 2009 from 5:30 – 8:00 PM. Airoom is a home design business and this event will give you an opportunity to view and experience their showroom displays and provide you with ideas for your remodeling projects. There will be a live cook demonstration, wine tasting, mini-massages and much more! Chamber members and their guests pay a nominal fee of $5 and non-members just $10.
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISEMENTS:
Business card newsletter advertisements are available for $100 per year. Send your business card to the Chamber by the 20th of each month in order to be included in the newsletter. The Chamber would like to thank the following chamber members for either renewing their advertisement or taking out a new newsletter business card advertisement!
* Jan Kupiec, Baird & Warner
* Jeff Manuel, Pianist and ECA President
* Jon Skor, Skor Advertising Specialties
* David A. Wians, State Farm Insurance
2009 MULTI-CHAMBER GOLF OUTING
It's official! Based on the opinion surveys received by the chamber golf survey, the 2009 Golf Outing will be held at Ridgemoor Country Club, 6601 W. Gunnison Street, Chicago, Illinois on Monday, June 15, 2009. The event will be co-hosted by the Edgebrook, Edison Park, Norwood Park and Sauganash Chambers of Commerce.
The golfing format will be tailored to the business needs of their chamber members. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. with registration and lunch, followed by the shot-gun start golf tournament from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. A buffet dinner (with business networking opportunities galore!) will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. What are the business advantages of this format? Where does one start?
You can work a half day before golfing, avoid a long drive starting at the crack of dawn (Ridgemoor is a mere 15 minutes away), and avoid fighting rush-hour traffic coming back in from the suburbs. If you don't golf, you can still participate, work a full day, and then enjoy a relaxing dinner afterwards. A detail flyer is being prepared and will be available shortly to list all the amenities this event will have to offer you and your business clients.
CITY SNOW REMOVAL NOTICE
All Chicago businesses and commercial property owners are required, under Municipal Code, to remove snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their property or businesses (Section 4-4-310 and 320). Business owners should clear a path at least 5 feet in width. It is important to remember that a sidewalk free of snow / ice is a provision of your business license (Section 4-4-320 & 10-8-180).
AFTER-HOURS EVENT RECAP:
Kudos go out to Mark Freedman of Myron & Phil Steak and Seafood for hosting the recent multi-chamber After-Hours Networking event held on February 19th! The event was well attended and Mark went out of his way (as usual) to please with great food and drink. Myron & Phil offers lunch and dinner specials that will please your palate & pocketbook as well. Stop in soon and check it out, you won't be disappointed!
CHAMBER PARKING LOT POLICY
The Chamber's lot is intended for patrons of Edgebrook businesses only! Cars have and will be towed. Please remember a two-hour parking limit is being strictly enforced (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday – Sunday). Parking over night is prohibited and cars will be towed!
OFFICE DEPOT DISCOUNT PROGRAM
If you are a dues-paying member of the Edgebrook, Lincolnwood, Sauganash or West Ridge Chambers, you are in luck! Members of these chambers of commerce can take advantage of Office Depot's discount program (designed exclusively for chamber members!) that could mean significant savings if you purchase your their office supplies. Even if you already have a business account with Office Depot, you can still take advantage of this program. Check it out!
SWAP 2009 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Before you know it, Spring will be upon us and it will be time to coordinate the chamber's annual business district cleanup program with the Cook County Sheriff's SWAP Program. The chamber is seeking volunteers to help coordinate this effort (see attached flyer).
SWEDISH COVENANT HOSPITAL
Unlike other leading hospitals where mammogram appointments or other diagnostic testing can take months to schedule, Swedish Covenant Hospital offers a priority program that will schedule your appointment in seven days or less! To register for your mammogram, call (773) 878-6888. Also, visit SwedishCovenant.org/breasthealth to find out more about their Breast Health Program. Even if your physican is not affiliated with them, Swedish Covenant Hospital will fax them the results!
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
Jeff Manuel, Pianist: Jeff is a man of many hats and talents. Jeff also serves his community as the President of the Edgebrook Community Association (ECA). Jeff is a master pianist and will provide your special dinner party or corporate business engagement with the elegant and sophisticated music your event deserves. Call Jeff at (773) 775-4065 or email him at: JManuel474@aol.com for an appointment.
MARC Printing & Graphics: MARC provides you with all the promotional, printing, graphics and business form products and services you will need to advertise your business in style! MARC is located at 6416 N. Ridgeway Avenue in Lincolnwood, Illinois. Congratulations go out to board member Cathy Janus who has recently joined MARC as their national sales director! Call President Barbara Faermark or Cathy at (847) 568-9200 to make an appointment or send them an email at either: barbara@marcprint.com or janus@marcprint.com.
Nature's Perspective Landscaping, Inc: This Evanston-based landscaping contracting firm has been in business since 1979 and provides their clients with landscape design, installation, paving, lighting, rainwater management, water features and outdoor kitchen products and services. To arrange an appointment, call them at (847) 475-7917 or email them at: info@naturesperspective.com. You can visit their website at: www.naturesperspective.com and browse their products and services at your leisure.
Thomas Stiller: Mr. Stiller is a well-known and respected real estate and investment professional. Call Thomas at: (312) 683-6302 to discuss how his services can help you or send him an email to set up an appointment at: Thomas.stiller@ubs.com.
A SPECIAL GIFT FROM THE HEART
Attorney Mark J. Kupiec and chamber member recently appeared on the 10th Annual Radiothon, organized to raise funds for "Dar Serca," the Gift from the Heart Foundation. The radiothon was hosted by Polskie Radio and was heard on Station WRKL 910 AM in New York and Station WNVR 1030 AM in Chicago. The foundation is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation that is raising money to remodel temporary housing for children who are in the Chicago area receiving specialized medical treatment. Check out their website at: www.darserca.org or call the foundation at (773) 237-4800.
ECA'S ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
The Edgebrook Community Association will be hosting their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 11, 2009 starting at 10:00 a.m. The hunt will include approximately 4,000 eggs, 150 goody bags and several prize baskets. The ECA is accepting any contributions that you would like to make to support this event. You will be recognized on the ECA's website and newsletter and in the Nadig Reporter. Contact co-chair Tom Misiewicz at (773) 775-5882 or email him at: tmisiewicz@ameritech.net to learn more and support this family event!
THE BLACKTOP BALL
On May 9, 2009, St. Juliana's parish and school will hold their first annual Black Top Ball fundraising event. Enjoy a lovely, elegant and unforgettable evening of food, drink, dancing, and both live and silent auctions. As a donor, you will receive name and logo recognition and you will be listed in the donor program book. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Call Laurie Martin, chair of the Silent Auction Committee at (773) 775-9825 for more details.
WHEN HEALTHY ISN'T?
Have you kicked the cola habit yet? Have you substituted it with refreshing bottled water instead? If so, we may not be as healthy as we think, and our new habit has a dark underside. First, it takes energy to make those plastic bottles and still more energy to ship them to us (Fiji is a long ways away!). After use, these bottles must end up somewhere. Did you know the U.S. alone sends two million tons of bottled water packaging to landfills every year? Who really cares about the environment, we are drinking bottled water for our health, no? No! There are lively debates going on about harmful substances leaching from these plastic bottles into OUR water system, and whether re-using these bottles is a safe practice for us to follow.
A dirty little secret about our new habit is much of our bottled water is filled with tap water, treated with ozone! Pundits remind us that tap water is regulated by government and bottled water is not. Therefore, tap water may be safer to drink. Finally, bottled water is expensive, in fact, more expensive than gas and we all sure complain about that don't we?
Ugh, bottled water is expensive, it maybe bad for us, and it is surely bad for our environment. So, what we to do? Well, for a small $15 investment you can buy a safe reusable water bottle! Chicago tap water seems to be the safest water available to us, but why take a chance? Let's go back to filters! Remember those carbon filters with matching pitchers? These filters will clean your water, minimize our impact on landfills and save us money. Plus, we need not worry about weird plastic substances leaching into our beautiful bodies because we all bought our spiffy new reusable water bottles. All we have to do is change the filter on our pitchers and fill them with tap water. That's easy! Consider how cool you will look with your new water bottle, AND with the money you saved, you might soon be able to take a well deserved trip to, FIJI!
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS:
MARCH 5TH – 8:00 AM
General Meeting
Monastero's Ristorante
3935 W. Devon Avenue
MARCH 19TH – 4:30 PM
Board of Directors' Meeting
Edgebrook Branch – Chicago Public Library
5331 W. Devon Avenue
MARCH 26TH (5:30 PM – 8:00 PM)
Spring Splash After-Hours Business Networking Event
Airoom Home Design Showroom
6825 N. Lincoln Avenue
APRIL 2ND – 8:00 AM
General Meeting
North Shore Community Bank & Trust – Sauganash
4343 W. Peterson Avenue